Mini Empanadas

My first empanada was in Bolivia. It was 1999. The summer I met and fell swiftly, wholly, irreversibly in love with him. The him who is now my husband. One afternoon, we ate empanadas from every street cart we spotted, and shared oranges in a park. It was an adventure. He didn't know I liked him. That's another story. One that's not about food. I think you're here for food.

There's much to love about these mini empanadas. In fact, what's not to love? Warm filling inside flakey, crisp pastry - whole wheat, of course - hand-held pockets perfect a proper mealtime or one on the go. The filling is the result of my ongoing stuff-veggies-everywhere-I-can campaign and is a winner, but I plan to experiment with others. I'll keep you posted.

This recipe was designed with a toddler in mind [read: healthy + yummy], but I'll let you in a secret. If you're in the market for a not so healthy empanada, grab some store bought puff pastry, lots of cheese (cheddar and jack), shredded chicken, onion, and some seasoning (salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin). Assemble and bake as outlined below. Simple, quick and so good.



Mini Empanadas

The Dough

2 cup Whole Wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 cup cold water
Extra whole wheat flour for rolling out dough

The Filling

1 chicken breast fillet, meat remaining from chicken stock (optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons minced red bell pepper
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1/2 cup frozen corn
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
1/4-1/2 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

• Combine flour and salt. Stir well
• Cut in 4 tablespoons of butter, crumbling it into the flour and mixing well with fingers.
• Begin adding cold water 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture forms a dough. Add a little flour if it's sticky
• Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes
• Pan-sear or grill chicken
• Preheat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-size skillet over medium-high heat. Add red pepper and onion to pan and sauté for a couple minutes until tender
• Dice or shred cooked chicken into small cubes and add it to pan. Add corn, black beans, spinach, jalapeno peppers, parsley, cumin, chili powder, salt, and cayenne pepper
• Cook for another 4 minutes, combining thoroughly.
• Remove pan from heat and add cheese; stir until cheese is melted
• Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface, and cut in 4" circles (I use these handy tools)
• Spoon filling into the center and seal
• Bake at 375 degrees for 10-20 min, until golden. The filling is already cooked so you don't need to worry about the internal temperature
• Serve with sour cream and avocado. [I often substitute yogurt]

Storage
Refrigerator: up to 4 days
Freezer: up to 1 month. First freeze on a cookie tray until firm and then store in a zip lock bag. Thaw in the fridge and warm in the toaster oven



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Flaxseed Carrot Muffins

Inspired a few years ago by a recipe from the back of a flaxseed meal package, these muffins have evolved to the point that one could really only call them distant muffin relatives. Since the Little Man turned 1 and acquired a few dietary opinions, it's been my quest to pack these bad boys with as much wholesome goodness as they can handle. Zucchini is the latest addition. Little Man does not believe zucchini is edible. 

They're particularly yummy briefly warmed in the toaster oven. Take it to the next level with smear of cream cheese or top it off with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and pretend it's carrot cake.

Flaxseed Carrot Muffins

makes approximately 36 muffins
30 min plus bake time

2 c. whole wheat flour

1.5 c. flaxseed meal

1.5 c. Oat bran (I've substituted wheat germ and oatmeal before)

4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

4 tsp cinnamon

2 c. shredded carrots

1-2 c. grated zucchini

3 granny smith apples, chopped or shredded

1 c. raisins

2 c. walnuts, chopped

1 c. coconut, unsweetened

4 eggs

½ -1 orange or mandarin, peeled

1.5 c. milk

2 tsp vanilla

1 c. honey, preferably unfiltered

• In your largest bowl, mix flour, flaxseed, oat bran, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots, apples, raisins, walnuts, zucchini and coconut.
• Beat eggs and the peeled orange in blender or food processor. Add milk, vanilla and honey. Mix.
• Stir liquids into dry mixture. Don’t overmix.
• Line cupcake tin with baking papers and fill with batter. Fill cups to the top.
• Bake at 350 F, middle rack, 18-25 min depending on oven. Be careful not to overcook.

Storage
Refrigerator: up to a week, or so
Freezer:  up to 1 month (possibly more), take a few days worth out at a time to thaw in the refrigerator

Time Saving Tips

Shred carrots, zucchini, and apples in food processor with grater blade. You can also do this 1-2 days ahead of time and store in the refrigerator

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